Huntsville gazette., 1887-05-28
AN HISTORIC SPOT.
Parliament Hill, and It's Legends of
War and Plague.
Where London Was Defended and Guy
Faux Intended to See s'King Jamie"
Go Up in Air-Another
Theory.

None of the bits of country that
promise to be rescued from bricks and
mortar by the passing of the Hampstead
Heath Enlargement bill is more deserv-
ing of being preserved for posterity
than Parliament Hill. One of the most
famous of the Northern heights of Lon
don, the Hill possesses other than
superficial attractions. 1t is not mere
ly the beauty of its grassy slopes, down
which generations of the children Of
the people are, we hope, now destined
to roll; nor the lovely views across the
fields to Highgate and Ken Wood, or
across the brickyards-soon to be an
eyesore of the past-to Hampstead
Heath, much as all these smile in con-
trast with the dreary wilderness Of
Kentish Town and Holloway, that are
the only charms of Parliament Hill.
Here, according to tradition, the Par
liamentary Generals planted cannon
for the defense of London. and hence
the Hill takes its name. There is, it is
true, nothing to prove the truth of the
legend; and there is, likewise, good
ground for believing that the Parlia-
mentarian Notifications were never ad-
vanced so far north; still, the story has
run for some hundreds of years. and
will certainly pass current as long as
the Hill lasts. But even if this time
honored tradition of the spot has to be
given up, it possesses other and still
more ancient associations. Here, it is
said; the members for Middlesex were
at one time elected; and the etymology
is very possibly the true one. The
county elections were, as a matter of
fact, held at Hampstead until the
hustings were removed to Brentford,
an event which took place at the be-
ginning of the eighteenth century. The
precise spot seems to have been the
high-road in front of jack Straw s
Castle. But it is very possible that the
Hill itself was the scene Of the cere-
mony at still earlier date. Yet an
other legend belongs to the spot.
Here, we are told, "Guy Faux's COM
rades stood to see his match send
Parliament House and Parliament, and
if possible King Jamie into the air. "
But, unfortunately for the reputation
of popular tradition, it is an historical
fact that the conspirators did not wait
to see the explosion, but were at the
time it would have occurred making
the best of their way out of London by
sundry and divers roads. So the asso-
Citations of Parliament Hill with Gun
powder Plot can only be commemora-
tive celebrations "of the Fifth OF
November.
But the happiest legend of all is that
for which the stalwart custodian OF the
rights of the freehoIder is responsible.
This worthy, who has a knack OF
horrifying ,trespassers by telling them
that they must pay quarter of mil
lion of money before they can walk
over these sacred fields, will, upon per-
suasion, gravely relate how Parliament
Hill is the place where cannon was
fixed with which to blow the Houses of
Parliament to pieces. He will be
found to be cautious in assigning a
date to the episode. But you can not
shake him as to the facts. 1t would be
hard to find a better illustration Of the
fatal facility with which local traditions
get mixed. aNoAsB BfE
Mr.. Walter Besant and Prof. Hales
lof on1 vivid
light upon the archaeology of the
Northern heights of London. North
of Parliament Hill rises another emf
nence, which is of remarkable form.
Aregularly rounded cone, it is clearly
of artificial origin, and this conclusion
is fully borne out by the fact that a
well l-defined fosse runs round it. In
this both Mr.. Walter Besant and Prof.
Hales recognize British barrow, and
thelatter has expended much research
in fixing its date. Hewitt, he reminds
us, relates how .in very early times the
inhabitants of St. Adams, who aspired
to make that town the capital of this
part Of England, finding London grow
ing vigorous rival, set out to attack
and destroy it; but that the Londoners,
turning out, met and defeated their
enemies Of st. Albans on this spot, and
that this mound contains the dust OF
the slain" We must, the professor
gravely points out, 60 back to very
early times to. fix a possible date for
such fray. In IS B. c.. when Caesar
invaded Britain, war was raging be-
tween Cassivelaunus, King of the Catu'
velauni, whose capital was Verulam,
the modern ST. Albans, and Imanuen-
sius. King Of the Trinobsntes ene OF